©2007 Grace Church Newton
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RESOURCES FOR LENT
Devotional Aids for Individuals, small groups and families
"Ash Wednesday begins our journey through Lent. It is the most solemn
time in the Church Year, but it need not be depressing! Think of it
as "spring cleaning for the soul!" It is a time to look within and go deeper
in our journey with Christ. It is a time to find ways to look outside
ourselves as well to those around us. How can we be a better person? a more
loving spouse, parent, child, friend? How might we reach out to someone who
needs our care and attention?"
— The Rev. Miriam Gelfer
Themes for our collective Lenten journey:
(Developed Feb. 4th with Fredrica Thompsett, Sunday school leaders
and Steering Committee for the grant
Reunion with God; penitence and forgiveness; "Saying I'm sorry."
Reunion with one another; "Getting together and making things right."
On this page you will find links to a variety of resources to help you on your Lenten journey:
Daily prayer for individuals and families from the Book of Common Prayer, table Graces, poems, prayers, commentaries.
Use them as you wish: daily prayer, quiet time at work, meetings with others, family and friends at the dinner table,
a minute when you're on the T or stuck in traffic. Click on the links to other websites for further information.
You will find other resources in the Parish Office, too.
Also, there is Evening Prayer in the Chapel at Grace at 6:30 - 6:55 PM every Thursday evening
Daily Prayer
The vision of "Prayer around the World" exists among Anglicans and other people of faith. We can join this practice by praying daily.
While we are not at prayer, given the normal round of activities, we rely on others to take up the daily round. Thus at all times
someone somewhere is praying.
Four times of daily prayer are provided for in the Book of Common Prayer: Morning, Noon, Early Evening, and at the Close of Day.
See pages 37 - 144 in the BCP or click on the link for the Daily Office below.
A very simple way to pray is also provided in the Prayer Book's section called "Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families,
pp 137-140. There is a page of prayers for each time of day. Click on Daily Devotions on the Website for copies of these pages.
Also you will find in the Parish Office a small leaflet containing them, published by the Forward Movement along with "Essentials," a Lenten meditation guide provided by the Episcopal Relief and Development fund..
For families and other groups of people gathered together, one of these forms might work out very well.
Also, saying grace at the
main meal would be another way to join this round of daily prayer. By praying briefly anywhere you join this worldwide prayer.
The Thursday Evening Prayer service in the chapel at Grace Church [6:30 - 6:55 PM] provides a way to support this effort.
In Lent, with its themes of reunion with God and one another, cultivating the habit of daily prayer would fit right in.
Links:
To pray the Daily Office: http://www.missionstclare.com
To find a list of Lenten resources: http://www.forwardmovement.org/#LENT
To use an ecumenical and intergenerational site for resources for Lent and Eastertide,
"Lift up your Hearts": http://www.worship.ca
To find activities with children (fridge art among others): http://www.domestic-church.com
To download from this site:
Three poems by the great Anglican divine, George Herbert
and go to www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/herbert
Lenten poems, Page 1 and Page 2 for meditation and reading by Ann Fletcher
Daily prayer for individuals and families from the BCP
A collection of Table Graces (to come)
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